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Rating: After releasing a highly valuable album like "Riportando tutto a casa," the path ahead was anything but obvious for Modena City Ramblers. With their blend of folk and countless other genres, they had many possible directions to take. With this second album, they show us two things: first, that they are not unreachable, undisputed musical geniuses. Second, that they definitely know what they're doing. Let me explain: after such an impressive debut it was hard to repeat themselves; as Francesco "Raven" Gallina once said: "The only flaw of 'The Last in Line'? Coming out after 'Holy Diver'!"—and, without getting into quality comparisons between Ronnie James Dio and the guys from Modena (besides the fact that "Grande Famiglia" has its flaws beyond not being their debut, but you get what I mean)—the point is, you can sense it here. This is an album of undeniable quality, but one where the band reveals some limits and opts for choices that, in some ways, have not aged all that well.
The cover is very beautiful, and it’s interesting to compare it to the debut: where before we had warm colors, wood, no people but many memories, now we get more muted tones but lots of faces, many people, an old photograph like the ones you find in your pocket after long journeys. In some respects, I like to put it this way: the MCRs had a life full of memories to bring home; once that was done and after coming to terms with their own memories, here is a work that looks less to the past and more to the present. Let's be clear, storytelling and remembrance remain key elements in Modena’s style, but here the nostalgic vein (not in a political sense, perdiana!) fades even further. The sound is generally less muscular, the folk component increases at the expense of the more rock-oriented side in many ways, and elsewhere they embrace solutions more typical of those years and less rooted in traditional folk music.
The album opens with "Clan Banlieu", a good track that doesn’t have you crying out for a miracle, but it holds its ground nicely, making way for the title track, an excellent song (perhaps one of the best of the lot) that flirts with speed metal in terms of pace: this quality makes it the shining star of an album that seems almost afraid to pick up the BPMs. Two well-crafted tracks follow, moving and emotional if not particularly rousing, followed by "L’aquilone dei Balcani" and the pleasant "Le lucertole del folk". There are copious and engaging instrumental sections up until the beautiful "Il fabbricante di sogni", which leads to a masterful cover of a very famous Guccini song, "La locomotiva" (brilliantly reimagined in textbook combat folk style). "L’unica superstite" has a mellow sound and, considering the lyrics, that's probably just as well, but as mentioned before, for the whole song the listener waits for that burst of energy. But the burst never comes, leaving a very beautiful track that still gives the sense something is missing. The last three tracks, I’d say, can bring everyone together: high quality that easily tips the scales toward a positive verdict, after a bit of hesitation that may have occurred at the album’s halfway mark.
The folk flavor is rich and varied throughout, but perhaps production quality is a bit lacking, with all tracks rather short and a decision that might make some (it does for me) raise an eyebrow: there’s little to really cut loose to here. Where did the songs go that make you bounce like crazy? I mean, there are sixteen tracks, and there are certainly those that make you want to slam your shoulder (the title track), the ones "for fists in the air," as they say in metal ("La banda del sogno interrotto"), there’s something for every taste, but, guys, you play folk—give it more spirit! This is an undeniable flaw of this record and perhaps its main one: I want to feel the energy on the record too, not just live. Maybe a lot of people, especially the younger crowd who know MCR mainly for their live performances, would be surprised listening to this album, which offers such profound—almost subdued—tones, paired with lighter, less layered sounds. They'd quickly realize just how many things this band was before they were the group playing "100 passi" on repeat. In other words, we have a less demanding album than the previous one (especially in terms of sound) and generally inferior, yet still well-made, with many beautiful songs, lovely atmospheres, melodic solutions of quality and no vertiginous drops. I believe this work is dear to the hearts of longtime fans and makes a worthy successor to the debut-manifesto. Don’t fall for the trap of "good but not as good as the last one..." nor give too much weight to the shortfall in energy mentioned above, because those are exactly the kind of thoughts that might keep you from listening: this is an album to be enjoyed all in one go after you’ve absorbed "Riportando tutto a casa," and to let a few of its tracks find their way into your heart. It may not be white gold, but it’s certainly a gem. Score: 84/100.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Clan banlieue (03:54)
Il quartiere non è il massimo, vie larghe e palazzoni
qui non abita nessuno di famoso.
niente attori, nè politici, stilisti nè modelle
musicisti si ma solo quelli poveri.
Qui ho tutti i miei amici ma non c'è un cazzo di niente
tranne il bar di Mimmo e il take away cinese.
E se sei cresciuto qui e se hai ventidue anni
cominci ad avere voglia di cambiare.
Così Pablo ha rimediato un furgone arrugginito
e Aziz è riuscito a farlo andare
con un pò di soldi in tasca per la birra e la benzina
da domani ci prendiamo una vacanza. A's tulàm de d'ché!
Zen, Secondigliano, Pilastro, Quarticciolo
non c'è niente da perdere, nous sommes le Clan Banlieue.
Ce ne andremo a curiosare per le strade dell'Europa
con le multe non pagate sul cruscotto.
Pablo cerca di convincerci a tornare a Barcellona
per noi due l'importante è che si schiodi.
Scriveremo cartoline agli amici del quartiere
che si sciolgono nel caldo dell'estate.
Li ritroveremo un giorno e brinderemo al nostro incontro
ai vecchi tempi e alle nostre nuove vite.
E da tutte le provincie, d'oriente e d'occidente
dai sobborghi soffocati dalla noia
uno sciame di furgoni malconci e colorati
investirà le grandi capitali. On se taille d'icì!
Guildford, Castrovillari, Sassuolo, La Villette
non c'è niente da perdere, nous sommes le Clan Banlieue.
Erlangen, Manzolino, Isernia, Lisdonvarna, Liege, Valladolid
non c'è niente da perdere.
Voghera, Codigoro, Zandvoort, Montecavolo,
East Kilbridge, Rieti, Arcore. Nous sommes le Clan Banlieue.
02 Grande famiglia (03:01)
Vanya è nata a Algeri, è cresciuta nel deserto
ha negli occhi ancora un po' di luce d'Africa
ha vissuto a Parma, poi è partita verso il Nord
è finita tra i Bunkers di Falls Road.
Ha cantato ed ha bevuto con gli amici di Bob Sands
ora spilla Guinnes all'Onirica
cucina per i matti e gli insegna a pitturare
sorride e loro le rispondono,
GRANDE GRANDE FAMIGLIA eh eh
i tossici, i poeti, i militanti, le punk
GRANDE FAMIGLIA GRANDE eh eh
clan cooperativa posse tribù
GRANDE
Al centro Auro e Marco l'atmosfera si riscalda
per fortuna birra fredda ce n'è ancora
Ale parla di politica Fabio accorda la chitarra
I bassotti son là per fare musica.
Paolo Rossi al grande circo chiama in pista i suoi amici
ballerini, nani, comici e cantanti
falsi ciechi e domatori inservienti e suonatori
a cantare insieme "A m'inceva un caz".
GRANDE GRANDE FAMIGLIA
gli irlandesi nei pub, i delegati nelle fabbriche
GRANDE FAMIGLIA GRANDE
centro sociale casa del popolo
GRANDE
El gobbi aparece cada vez que tocamos
para pogar la musica irlandesa
y habla espanol para encantar la muchacha
e dialet quand l'è emberiegh
A Roma ci sta Paola con Ottavio e Robertina
c'è Radaski nelle bettole a Torino
a Parma Aldo e Franzo, a Dublino Andy Fitzimans
un amico in ogni porto per i brindisi
GRANDE GRANDE FAMIGLIA
le ragazze sognanti i vecchi alla bocciofila
GRANDE FAMIGLIA GRANDE
Veniamo da lontano andiamo lontano
GRANDE
GRANDE, GRANDE!
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Other reviews
By rebelde
La Grande Famiglia opens with tracks that "involve the audience in an instant jumping frenzy, leaving one breathless after five minutes."
The album "knows how to entertain, move, and raise awareness on current themes," blending folk traditions with powerful messages.
